Grain bins are massive devices used to store bulk flowable grain products such as corn, soybeans, wheat, rice, or any other grain. Conventional grain bins are generally formed in a cylindrical shape with a corrugated sidewall covered by a peaked roof. Grain bins vary in height and diameter and storage capacity and can range from a few thousand bushels to well over a million bushels.
To fill a grain bin, flowable grain is carried by an auger, bucket elevator or other material handling device above the grain bin roof. This grain is then poured by a spout through an opening in the center of the peaked roof. Extreme care must be taken when filling a grain bin to ensure that the grain, as well as the fines therein, is more evenly distributed within the grain bin. Due to the flow properties of grain, grain is not completely self-leveling and therefore the manner in which the grain is poured into the grain bin can cause an uneven distribution within the grain bin. This is due to the angle of repose which is the steepest angle of descent or dip relative to the horizontal plane to which a material can be piled without slumping. While grain bins are engineered to withstand unbalanced forces, an uneven distribution of grain within a grain bin can have catastrophic effects, such as structural failure. Even if the grain bin does not fail, the uneven distribution of grain within the grain bin can cause uneven airflow through the grain which can lead to uneven moisture levels within the stored grain which can lead to spoilage.
To help prevent uneven filling of grain bins, various grain spreading devices have been developed. These grain spreading devices are generally positioned in the center of the grain bin just below the opening in the peak of the grain bin roof. These grain spreading devices serve to catch the grain, as well as the fines therein, as it is poured into the grain bin and redirects the grain, as well as the fines therein, to provide a more even distribution of the grain, as well as the fines therein, within the grain bin. Conventional grain spreaders can be separated into two broad categories, unpowered grain spreaders and powered grain spreaders.
Unpowered grain spreaders serve to direct or redirect the flow of grain without the use of motorization. These unpowered grain spreaders are often formed of an arrangement of shoots, funnels, tubes or gravity feed spinners and aim to more evenly distribute grain, as well as the fines therein, within a grain bin without electric power and motorization. While effective in some applications, conventional unpowered grain spreaders suffer from many disadvantages.
Namely, due to their often sophisticated configuration and reliance on gravity for proper operation, unpowered grain spreaders are often incapable of overcoming the biased or uneven manner in which the grain is poured into the unpowered grain spreader thereby causing the distribution coming out of the grain spreader to itself be biased or uneven. Furthermore, many unpowered grain spreaders are large and sophisticated devices which are expensive to manufacture, are formed of a great number of parts, and require complex assembly within the grain bin. Further yet, many unpowered grain spreaders simply do not spread grain, as well as the fines therein, as evenly as many powered grain spreaders. As such, unpowered grain spreaders are not suitable or desirable in many applications.
Powered grain spreaders, like unpowered grain spreaders, serve to direct or redirect the flow of grain, as well as the fines therein, to facilitate more even distribution of the grain, as well as the fines therein, within the grain bin. Unlike unpowered grain spreaders, powered grain spreaders include a motor that rotates portions of the spreading device. While powered grain spreaders provide many advantages over unpowered grain spreaders, or using no grain spreader at all, conventional powered grain spreaders suffer from many disadvantages.
Namely, many powered grain spreaders use a belt and pulley system to connect the output of a motor to a rotating impeller or pan of the spreading device also known as a deflector. Due to the harsh operating environment within the grain bin, which is extremely dusty and can range from extreme heat and humidity to freezing temperatures and low humidity, these belts can work themselves loose or prematurely fail rendering the spreader inoperable. This requires an operator to climb within the grain bin to service the grain spreader which often requires tightening or replacing the belt. In some cases, the belt can come off of the grain spreader and into the grain bin where the loose belt can cause a host of other problems such as getting wrapped around an auger or sweep, plugging a grain outlet or getting caught in a bucket elevator, drier or other component of a grain handling system.
As an alternative to belt driven grain spreaders, Brock Grain Systems—A Division of CTB, Inc. having an address of 611 N Higbee Street, P.O. Box 2000, Milford, Ind. 46542 U.S.A. offers a powered grain spreader with an in-line gear reducer. While this arrangement eliminates some of the problems prevalent with belt driven grain spreaders, this arrangement provides a whole host of other problems.
Namely, this arrangement places the motor directly in the path of the falling grain. Positioning the motor in this manner can reduce the capacity of the grain spreader while exposing the motor to the constant beating of the falling grain. In addition, because the motor is placed directly in the path of the falling grain, special precautions must be taken to protect the motor from the grain and from the contamination and infiltration of grain and grain particles. This can be done by fully enclosing, sealing or encapsulating the motor. Enclosing the motor in this manner can limit the motor's ability to dissipate heat and can make the motor susceptible to overheating and therefore premature failure. Making matters worse, hot grain is often poured straight out of the grain dryer and into the grain bin and therefore onto the already heat-challenged motor, which can exasperate the motor's limited ability to dissipate heat.
Additional disadvantages of this system are caused by using an in-line gear reducer. Namely, an in-line gear reducer that can withstand use in the harsh environment of a grain bin spreader is a relatively sophisticated and expensive component formed of precisely machined parts which require special care and consideration such as lubrication and contamination prevention. In addition, these in-line gear reducers are susceptible to breakage because the gears in the gear reducer do not allow for any slippage or give, and instead they can only break when a heavy load is suddenly applied which often occurs when the initial flow of grain hits a freewheeling grain spreader. As such, the inability of an in-line gear reducer to slip or give upon the sudden introduction of grain can cause premature failure, as can the loss of lubrication or infiltration of contamination.
Therefore, for all the reasons stated above, and the reasons stated below, there is a need in the art for a friction driven beltless grain spreader.
Thus, it is a primary object of the invention to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that improves upon the state of the art.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that has a long useful life.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that is durable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that places the motor outside of the flow of grain.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that provides a sufficient amount of give when forces spike.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that allows for slippage between the motor and the grain spreader when necessary.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that eliminates the use of a belt.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that eliminates the use of direct-drive gears.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that reduces maintenance.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that provides more even spreading of grain.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that does not require sealing of the motor.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that does not inhibit cooling of the motor.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that is reliable.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that is easy to manufacture.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that allows for forward and reverse operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that is relatively inexpensive.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that has a robust design.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that is high quality.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that reduces downtime.
Another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that improves efficiencies.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a friction driven beltless grain spreader that facilitates adjustable tension.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification, figures and claims.